1. New Testament Introduction

2. What do you love about the New Testament?

4. Old Testament New Testament

5. Except for one small period of independence (thanks, Macabees, the Jewish rebels that came 160 before His birth), the Jews had lived as a conquered people for over 500 years. By the time of Christ’s birth, Rome had conquered Israel. King Herod the Great, who had married into the Maccabee family, was appointed by Rome to rule over Israel. The Jews resented Roman rule and eagerly looked forward to a promised Messiah who they believed would deliver them from the Romans. (New Testament Manual, Overview of the New Testament)

6. In early 1947, three Bedouin shepherds were searching for a stray animal. One of them threw a rock into a cave and heard an earthen jar break. When they entered the cave, they saw it contained several large clay jars, some of which held scrolls. * In the ensuing years, several hundred scrolls in 11 caves on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea were found. * The scrolls provide an ancient library of more than 900 texts, most of them written in the original Hebrew of the Old Testament. About 225 of the scrolls contain the oldest copy of the Old Testament - more than 1,000 years older than the copies used during the Middle Ages. Many scholars believe that the Dead Sea Scrolls are the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th century. (1 )

7. 600 B.C. Prophets warned Jerusalem that the temple would be destroyed (Book of Mormon) 600 B.C. Babylon invaded Judah (1 ) Alexander the Great conquered 332 B.C. After Malachi: Behold, the days come, saith the Lord G OD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor athirst for water, but of hearing the words of the L ORD : Amos 8:11 587 B.C. Jerusalem fell 515 B.C. Jerusalem rebuilt

8. 162 B.C. The Pharisees came into power. The Romans appointed Harod the Great as King of the Jews. 37 B.C. (1 ) Birth of Jesus. 63 B.C Pompeii conquered and made Judea a part of the Roman province.

9. The Time & Culture of Jesus’ Day – Universal language – Philosophy – Rejected Resurrection – Medicine – Athletics – Entertainment – Science – Violence – Morality Greeks

10. The Time & Culture of Jesus’ Day – Political Power – Political Turmoil – Travel – “Pax Romana” Romans

11. The Time & Culture of Jesus’ Day – Dispersed – Missionary Spirit – Looking for the Messiah – Persecution – Loose interpretations of the Law – 2 Nephi 10:3–5 Jews

12. “They took the plain and simple things of pure religion and added to them a host of their own interpretations; they embellished them with added rites and performances; and they took a happy, joyous way of worship and turned it into a restrictive, curtailing, depressive system of rituals and performances. The living spirit of the Lord’s law became in their hands the dead letter of Jewish ritualism” (Elder McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, 4 vols. [1979–81], 1:238).

13. The Time & Culture of Jesus’ Day – Dispersed – Missionary Spirit – Looking for the Messiah – Persecution – Loose interpretations of the Law Jews Universal language Philosophy  Rejected Resurrection Medicine Athletics Entertainment Science Morality Violence Greeks Political Power Political Turmoil Travel “Pax Romana” Romans Does this sound familiar?

14. The Time & Culture of Jesus’ Day – Dispersed – Missionary Spirit – Looking for the Messiah – Persecution – Loose interpretations of the Law Believers Universal language Philosophy  Rejected Resurrection Medicine Athletics Entertainment Science Morality Violence Society Political Power Political Turmoil Travel “Pax Romana” America

15. New Testament Setting

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22. The Dead Sea

25. – Absolutely no life – 9 times saltier than normal ocean water. The Sea of Galilee – Rich with exotic plant and animals – Home to at least 20 different types of fish. – Has supported the lives of many for over two millennia. Why is one sea so ‘alive’ and the other so ‘dead’? What’s the principle?

26. Matthew (Tax Collector): Writing to the Jews to show that Jesus Christ fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. Mark (Teenager): Miracles, names, places, and detailed accounts. Luke (Doctor): Writing to the Gentiles, emphasizing individual salvation. Luke did not know the Savior personally (probably got the information from Mary; s ee The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, 4 vols. (1979–81), 1:324.) John (The Beloved Fisherman): Writing for the Jews to present Jesus as the literal Son of God. A doctor, a fisherman, a tax collector, and a teenager wrote some of the most famous books in existence...

27. GospelExclusiveCommon Mark Matthew (Levi) Luke John 7% 42% 59% 92% 93% 58% 41% 8% Material Exclusive to Matthew (Jesus fulfills OT prophecies)  Visit of wise men; a star in the east  Flight into Egypt; slaying of children  Sermon on the Mount  Ten parables Material Exclusive to Mark  One parable  A young man wearing a linen cloth (Mark)  Signs following believers Material Exclusive to Luke (Salvation)  Gabriel’s visits to Zacharias and to Mary  Births of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ  Jesus at age twelve in the temple  Twelve parables  The Seventy  Christ sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane  Discussion with the thief (“To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” [Luke 23:43].)  The Savior ate fish and honey after his resurrection

28. GospelExclusiveCommon Mark Matthew (Levi) Luke John 7% 42% 59% 92% 93% 58% 41% 8% MATERIAL EXCLUSIVE TO JOHN (Jesus is the literal son of God)  Jesus calls four disciples, turns water to wine at the marriage feast at Cana, teaches Nicodemus, the woman at the well, and cures a nobleman’s son and an impotent man at the pool (see John 1:35-5:24).  The Bread of Life, the Light of the World, and Living Water.  Heals a man horn blind; the Good Shepherd; raising Lazarus from the dead (see 6:23-11:57).  Jesus washes the Apostles’ feet, discourses on the Holy Ghost, prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, and promises that John will tarry; Thomas doubts (see 13:1-21:25).

29. Why do we need a Savior?

30. One sin = deep debt (see 1 Nephi 15:33-34) Two travelers missed their flight. One was :30seconds late and the other 15minutes late. Which traveler is better off? Even if we keep 9 of the 10 commandments… Hanging on a cliff by a chain with 10 links. How many links have to break before you fall? LIST OF SINS (Miracle of Forgiveness, pg 25): murder, adultery, theft, cursing, unfaithfulness, hatred of God, disobedience to husbands, high-mindedness, flattery, lustfulness, infidelity, indiscretion, backbiting, lack of truth, striking or brawling, quarrelsomeness, unthankfulness, inhospitality, deceitfulness, irreverence, boasting, arrogance, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, pride, double-tongued talk, profanity, slander, corruptness, thievery, embezzlement, covenant-breaking, filthiness, filthy communications, impurity, foolishness, slothfulness, impatience, unmercifulness, denial of the Holy Ghost, Sabbath breaking, envy, jealousy, malice, vengefulness, bitterness, provoking, greediness for filthy lucre, disobedience to parents, anger, hate, covetousness, bearing false witness, inventing evil things, presumptuousness, insatiable appetite, instability, speaking evil of dignitaries…

31. Why do we need a Savior? How many sins per person? 5 a day for one year times 70 years? Does ‘going’ to church and ‘going’ the temple or ‘going’ on a mission make God feel better about you? The debt needs to be satisfied – completely. What’s the standard? It’s like trying to cooking a rotten egg using good eggs. Are you spending a lifetime trying to pay a bill you will never be able to pay? How can the bill be paid without compromising the standard? Any payment we make is less than perfect. What do people do with a bill they can’t pay? The deal of a lifetime: 2 Corinthians 5:21 One day the Lord will say, “You owe me perfection. Where is the payment?” It should be a short conversation...

32. New Testament Introduction